A Study in Scarlett

The British Dancer and Choreographer Leaps
Into His Role as Royal Ballet's Artist in Residence

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Jose Martin and Leanne Cope in 'Asphodel Meadows'
Bill Cooper/ROH

By

Sarah Frater

Nov. 8, 2012 5:56 p.m. ET

LONDON—It's long been a tradition in the theater to celebrate a new ballet with an official "first night." It is the start of what all involved hope will be a long run that will attract audiences and charm critics, as well as validating everyone's creative investment and justifying the production costs.

ENLARGE

Liam Scarlett
Bill Cooper/ROH

But for the choreographer, the first night of a new ballet is paradoxically both a beginning and an end. He or she will have spent many hours in the studio with the dancers, crafting the steps and shaping the movement. He will have thought long and hard about the ideas behind the piece and how best to bring them to choreographic life. And he will have collaborated with the musicians as well as the designers who create the ballet's visual identity. "When the curtain goes up, you are so excited," says choreographer Liam Scarlett. "But your heart also sinks because it is the end of a journey. First nights are sad, because they are a kind of goodbye."

It's a farewell that Mr. Scarlett may have to get used to. The much-tipped British choreographer has just stepped down as a dancer with London's Royal Ballet to become its artist in residence. This new job will allow the 26-year-old to work full-time as a choreographer both for the Royal Ballet itself and ballet companies around the world. And commissions have been arriving at an impressive rate, with Miami City Ballet and the Norwegian National Ballet just two he can mention. Other troupes have yet to announce their forthcoming seasons, meaning Mr. Scarlett must stay tight-lipped about other commissions until they do. "But I definitely can't complain," he smiles.

Mr. Scarlett's swift ascent began at the age of just four, with dance classes in his hometown of Ipswich in the east of England—"I was a kid with a lot of energy and it gave my mum some relief," he says. He joined the Royal Ballet School at 11, and graduated into the company in 2005 when he was 19, a move he puts down as much to his interest in choreography as his ability as a classical dancer. While as a dancer he only reached the relatively humble position of First Artist, several rungs down the ladder from the lofty rank of Principal, encouragement as a choreographer came from the highest level, with the Royal Ballet's then-director, Monica Mason, spotting his flair when he was still a student. "Monica was always very present when I was in the school," Mr. Scarlett explains. "She said she'd like to take me into the company and nurture my choreographic interests. In retrospect [her mentoring] had a clear step-by-step structure. I thought she was just giving me bits and bobs to do, but it was a very logical progression." This evolved from small-scale duets at the Royal Ballet School, where he won its main choreographic awards, to the Royal Ballet's choreographic workshops, then pieces for the Linbury Studio Theatre (the Royal Opera House's second stage), the plotless "Asphodel Meadows" on the main stage in 2010 and the story ballet "Sweet Violets" in 2012.

‘You generate an entirely new world when you make a new ballet. When that last auditorium door shuts, and the house lights go out, you could be anywhere.’

Mr. Scarlett is quick to acknowledge Ms. Mason's role in his career, saying that without the opportunities she provided his position would be far less strong. But the greater the opportunities, the greater the expectation. The dance world has pinned high hopes on the endorsement of Ms. Mason, who as a dancer worked closely with both Kenneth MacMillan and Frederick Ashton, two of the most important choreographers of the 20th century. "There is huge pressure on delivering," he says, "not just [for the sake of] the audience but the dancers as well. There is nothing better for dancers than having new work made on them. If the dancers believe in the work, the audience will as well."

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Marianela Nuñez and Ryoichi Hirano in 'Viscera'
Andrej Uspenski/ROH

Mr. Scarlett is sitting backstage at Covent Garden the day before the U.K. premiere of his new ballet, "Viscera"—a piece made for Miami City Ballet earlier this year that was so well-received the Royal Ballet asked him to restage it. "It is a joy to bring home," he smiles. If he is experiencing first-night nerves, he does a good job of hiding them, with an easy-going manner and assured professionalism that belie his relative youth. And while he admits he will miss dancing—"I loved being on stage"—he says his experience as a dancer has fed directly into his work as a choreographer and the two roles have much in common. In particular, he says listening to the orchestra and phrasing the steps are something for both dancer and dance maker. He also says the process of telling a story is a job for both choreographer and dancer.

Not that he underestimates the artistic authority a choreographer requires. "When you are standing at the front of a dance studio, and have 20 expectant faces, you can't bottle it," laughs Mr. Scarlett, adding that he has an equal responsibility to the audience. "You have to be able to stand back and see the work from [their] perspective."

If choreography involves empathizing with both dancers and ticket-buyers, it also involves conjuring magic from the black box of the stage, especially for the all-important first night. "You generate an entirely new world when you make a new ballet," says Mr. Scarlett. "When that last auditorium door shuts, and the house lights go out, you could be anywhere. And that's the wonderful thing about [a first night]. Not knowing what is on-stage, behind the red velvet curtain."

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